S26.E12: Monster Truck Heroes

[aemom]

I liked that the lead kept changing, but what a lame finale.

Catch and kick a ball, ride with some cowboys, rappel off a building to find a clue, then drive a truck, and put some photos in order. Really pretty easy stuff for the last leg.

Looking forward to TAR Canada this summer because overall, I have been impressed with their challenges.

[ChuChu]

One of the extra videos shows Tyler and Laura directing their cab driver to the final pit stop.  He didn't seem to have a clue and didn't have gps or a smart phone, so they pulled out the maps and got him there.  Worst cabbies ever.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Mike & Rochelle should have really gone at the end of the previous leg, so they got an extra half-leg out of it, but to be eliminated mid-way because of taxi stuff seems pretty meh.

 

I'd be curious to find out how far behind Mike and Rochelle were at the end of the last episode only to be saved by the bunching at the airport, because they seemed to be hours behind.  But I'm glad they were eliminated early on.

 

To paraphrase Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons: Worst. Cab drivers. Ever.

[needschocolate]

I don't get why Laura told Jenni where the flags were.  It is the final leg in a race for a million dollars, not one of the first few legs where you may want to build up some good will or work together to get a stronger team out.  What was their plan - "Hey, let's work together.  I don't care who wins a million dollars, as long is it is not Hailey and Blair"?

 

If Jenni and Jelani had done the selfie task correctly from the start, they would have won and it would have been because Laura had told her about the flags. 

 

I wonder if Jenni would have told Laura exactly where the flags were if she had found them first.

[millennium]

This show really falls apart whenever they get back to the USA. Aren't finales supposed to be exciting?

Also, "Selfies Galore" was the one woman James Bond rejected.

 

LOL.   You are 100% correct about the deflated feeling that accompanies the teams' return to the US.  Every season, the excitement of the race seems to drain away in the last half hour of the finale as teams arrive home.   In this instance, they returned from faraway, ancient lands of color and mystery to ... a football stadium.   What better reminder of how ugly and shallow American culture is.   I always think of that episode of The Sopranos, after Tony spends a week in Naples.   He's riding home from the airport, staring out the window at the flatlands of New Jersey.   He doesn't say a word.   He doesn't have to.

[humbleopinion]

I enjoyed the Stranger Race Teams.

It added another dimension to TAR.

No more asking about love connections-half expecting the accompanying bow chicka bow wow music.

Beneath your dignity Phil.

[blackwing]

I don't get why Laura told Jenni where the flags were.  It is the final leg in a race for a million dollars, not one of the first few legs where you may want to build up some good will or work together to get a stronger team out.  What was their plan - "Hey, let's work together.  I don't care who wins a million dollars, as long is it is not Hailey and Blair"?

 

If Jenni and Jelani had done the selfie task correctly from the start, they would have won and it would have been because Laura had told her about the flags. 

 

I wonder if Jenni would have told Laura exactly where the flags were if she had found them first.

I agree, I think Laura and Tyler were so fixated on having anyone except Hayley and Blair win.  Tyler was so upset when Hayley and Blair left the tower.  Makes no sense.

 

I seriously doubt Jenny would have told Laura where the flags were.  Jenny is much too competitive and high strung.  I was really fearful that she had won, because after she fell off the horse they had a talking head where she seemed WAY too cheery about saying "what do you do when you fall off a horse?  Get right back on".

 

I found it interesting that throughout the race, racers have pretty much only worn REI/workout type outfits.  But for the final leg, Tyler breaks out this green Hawaiian party collared shirt.  I wonder if he asked for it from his sequester bag or if he carried it around with him in his backpack for three weeks.

 

If any of the teams besides Mike/Rochelle had been eliminated after the football task, I would have been pissed.  The football task didn't allow for that much shifting.  It all came down to who was lucky to get out of the airport first, and then who navigated to the horses last.

[In Pog Form]

I always think of that episode of The Sopranos, after Tony spends a week in Naples.   He's riding home from the airport, staring out the window at the flatlands of New Jersey.

That was also good when they did it in The Godfather.

[fishcakes]

So evidently, Hayley is not always right. I am shocked. Shocked, I say. Even so, I wouldn't have minded her winning if only because it meant Blair would win too, and I think he deserves the half-million as hazard pay, if for no other reason. And she stopped bothering me as much as she used to after the human excrement on this season's Survivor showed their true selves. It's not much of a recommendation to say that Hayley isn't as bad as Will or Dan, but at least it's something. I do wish, though that when she said she'd do the race again with Blair that he'd said, "and I'd do it again with Jelani." Seriously, show, Team Blair and Jelani. Make that happen.

 

Now I'm curious as to the experiences of people on this forum, whether if you are in a male/female relationship if the man always drives.  For me, it seems to always be automatically assumed that I always drive, even though I don't particularly like driving.  I'd love to let my wife drive occasionally and be a passenger for once, but for whatever reason, driving seems to have permanently fallen into my column in the division of household duties.

 

For me in all relationships, it's always depended on whose car it is. If it's mine, I drive; if it's his, he drives. Typically, though, I do less of the driving overall, but I think it's more because I really don't enjoy driving than it is because I'm the woman. I'm not married, though, so I don't know if driving is one of those things that becomes one person's job out of habit or default; if it is, you should try to make a trade with your wife if she doesn't mind doing it.

[cooksdelight]

If Hayley and Blair had won, they would have to be sure to have given them separate checks. For I know Hayley would figure out a way to bitch about and screw that up too.

[needschocolate]

If Hayley and Blair had won, they would have to be sure to have given them separate checks. For I know Hayley would figure out a way to bitch about and screw that up too.

 

Oh, I can just imagine - "Blair! You need to put the money into a mutual fund! Are you listening to me, Blair! I said a mutual fund! At a brokerage place, not a bank, Blair! Blair! I said a brokerage, not a bank! Blair! Why are you walking into the bank, Blair?  You never listen to me! I told you to put the money into a mutual fund at a brokerage firm! Blair, slow down! Stop walking so fast! Hurry up! Do you think that an annuity would be better, Blair? Help me decide, Blair, we are supposed to be a team! You should listen to me! Blair!Blair! Blair!"

[djlynch]

My thought exactly, how do taxi drivers not know where things are in the city they work in, especially in these days with GPS. Were they told not to use it?

 

It's because they stuck with the cabs that they got at DFW Airport. About 90% of their work is taking people to/from the airport hotels, and Dallas/Fort Worth is so huge and sprawling that you can spend a lot of time there and not really know the geography that well. Also those weren't exactly major landmarks teams were going to. Alvarado, where the horses were, is a fairly small town about 40 miles away from the stadium and Continental Avenue is only a few blocks long now that the bridge has closed to cars. I've lived in Texas my whole life with frequent visits to the DFW area and the only reason I knew where either of those were is because they have freeway exits.

[dgpolo]

It's not right for the million dollar prize to come down to crappy taxi luck,

 

This I have to disagree with. I don't think the Race is strictly an Olympic style competition where everyone starts out quasi-equally and all do the same tasks at the same time and let the best man win. This Race, The Amazing Race, has all different kinds of teams, young and fit, old and not so fit, 2 guys, 2 girls, one of each, I older 1 younger etc. etc etc. So you start out already unequal. Then, part of the race is choosing one task or another, choosing cabs and tuk tuks and buses and trains and airplane flights, so you're dealing with mental acuity. You have to deal with each other and other teams and killer fatigue and locals, so you have to deal with social interaction. This Race is not, just, whoever is fastest or strongest wins ( though that is what happens a lot, the young fit teams DO have an advantage, with a lot of the tasks, but also just being able to keep going) this Race also encompasses luck, it's been so from the beginning and I hope will continue to do so. It is one of the equalizing factors making it possible for the old guys to catch up with and pass the young ones. I think it also brings suspense to the legs and especially, the last legs.

The very first Race ended in NY with the lawyers never having been there, and Frank and Margarita being native New Yorkers, Rob and Brennan got a cab and gave him the address, Frank and Margarita got a cab and proceeded to micro manage him through the route they wanted to take. The lawyers won.

Chip and Kim won when Colin hired a car and it got a flat.

Joyce and Uchenna won because their cabbie knew Spanish.

These were all memorable because of the suspense cab drama caused, I wouldn't want to give that up.

[Packerbrewerbadger]

I don't get why Laura told Jenni where the flags were.  It is the final leg in a race for a million dollars, not one of the first few legs where you may want to build up some good will or work together to get a stronger team out.  What was their plan - "Hey, let's work together.  I don't care who wins a million dollars, as long is it is not Hailey and Blair"?

 

If Jenni and Jelani had done the selfie task correctly from the start, they would have won and it would have been because Laura had told her about the flags. 

 

I wonder if Jenni would have told Laura exactly where the flags were if she had found them first.

Since they were basically together on this task, I think Jenny and Jelani would have just told their cabbie to follow Laura and Tyler. This way Laura got input on if she was correct, something Hayley could have used!

[blackwing]

Not sure if that would have happened.  Jenny always seems to think she is the Smartest Person in the Room and I think her pride wouldn't have allowed it.  I think Laura could easily have said nothing.  Jenny asks "did you see it"?  Laura says, "I think so but I'm not 100%, I want to discuss with Tyler and see if it makes sense."  Then descend rapidly before Jenny can say anything more.  Jenny would stay there for a bit and keep looking.  Then just do a Tuk Tuk Jenny and duck into the cab and speed off.

[meep.meep]

I just want to ditto everyone's thoughts about the final tasks being all flash and no substance. It seems that more and more lately they pick tasks that they think look good on TV, but leave little room for the teams to show their stuff and give themselves opportunities to pass each other through skill.  The football challenge was only a little tough (though it can be tricky to kick a ball from a stand if you're not used to it), and yeah, there was no actual herding in that herding challenge.  Then the tower, which really should have been a breeze for Hayley.  The trucks again look good but were no challenge.  The only real challenges, I guess, were the lock and ordering the photos.

I guess I am not part of the hive mind. The leg was designed to have each team member have to do an extreme heights challenge. Many people are petrified of heights. The herding task had at least 2 people who had never ridden a horse, and Laura looked scared to death. Jenny's mishap was an indicator that things could have gone very wrong if the horse had rolled over on her. There wasn't actual herding but they had to ride fast, not just walk. The tower wasn't easy or Haley wouldn't have missed the flags.

Compared to "eat a piece of deep dish pizza" this was a difficulty-strewn final leg.

I'm all in favor of Team Blair and Jelani on another race!

[Browncoat]

I can't blame Mike and Rochelle's cab driver at all for their coming in fourth at the ranch.  Maybe Mike dismissed the cabbie, maybe not, but if he hasn't taken three tries to catch the ball and who knows how many tries to kick the ball, they would have been finished at the stadium sooner and thus been at the ranch sooner regardless of their taxi driver.  Other racers passed Mike because he couldn't catch or kick, and they left the stadium last.

[ichbin]

I'm all in favor of Team Blair and Jelani on another race!

Me too!

Here's another thought though.  Imagine how entertaining a Jenny and Hayley team could be...I think that would be fitting.  We'd all need to watch on mute after a while though...

[etagloh]

I guess I am not part of the hive mind. The leg was designed to have each team member have to do an extreme heights challenge. Many people are petrified of heights. The herding task had at least 2 people who had never ridden a horse, and Laura looked scared to death.

It was still very... linear. Go up a wire, go down a wire, catch a ball, kick a ball, ride a horse in a straight line, go down a wire, drive a truck in a straight line. All with lots and lots of protective gear and safety crew around. And let's be honest, there was zero zilch nada indication of anybody losing a second because of fear of heights, and only a few hairy moments with the horses.

We know the problems with final legs. The final city usually needs to be accessible by a direct flight into the US. Most of the tasks have to be in enclosed, controlled or out-of-the-way areas to avoid spoilers. No driving (other than a monster truck for 50 yards). No public transportation. Limited interaction with locals outside of cab drivers and those who are part of the tasks.

As djlynch says, the cab drivers for this leg were obviously airport drivers, and were mostly useless for any destination that wasn't the football stadium. TPTB could have helped things out by having teams close out their airport cabs at the stadium while bundling some money to half a dozen other cabs to wait nearby, and I wouldn't have considered that shenanigans. Anyway, a sprawly car-dependent city isn't a good place to end the race. Sorry, Dallas. It's not us, it's you.

There have been comments about great finales with cab/car luck, but how about the foot race finish in TAR2, or the Manhattan tasks in TAR10, or the finishes in Anchorage and Portland? I don't mind flashy tasks in opening legs, but there have been plenty of finales with more creative challenges: it's not like they've gone from pizza-eating to 300 foot drops without anything in between. And as I said in the previous episode thread, by having a NEL and a midway elimination in the finale, TPTB are depriving viewers of the F3 elimination, which is often a highlight because there aren't as many constraints and everything to play for.

[needschocolate]

I can't blame Mike and Rochelle's cab driver at all for their coming in fourth at the ranch.  Maybe Mike dismissed the cabbie, maybe not, but if he hasn't taken three tries to catch the ball and who knows how many tries to kick the ball, they would have been finished at the stadium sooner and thus been at the ranch sooner regardless of their taxi driver.  Other racers passed Mike because he couldn't catch or kick, and they left the stadium last.

 

I thought Mike left before Jelani.  If that is correct, then the taxi did come into play.  However, Mike was the first one there, so his trouble with catching and kicking the ball did set him back.  Besides, Laura and Tyler's driver didn't know where he was supposed to go, and they won, so it is not like bad taxi luck can't be overcome.

 

I guess I am not part of the hive mind. The leg was designed to have each team member have to do an extreme heights challenge. Many people are petrified of heights. The herding task had at least 2 people who had never ridden a horse, and Laura looked scared to death. Jenny's mishap was an indicator that things could have gone very wrong if the horse had rolled over on her. There wasn't actual herding but they had to ride fast, not just walk. The tower wasn't easy or Haley wouldn't have missed the flags.

Compared to "eat a piece of deep dish pizza" this was a difficulty-strewn final leg.

 

I thought, as far as final legs go, this was one of the best ones (disclaimer - I missed most of the early seasons).  There was a lot of switching places - more, it seemsto me, that in prior final legs. Mike and Rochelle got to the stadium first and left the stadium 3rd or 4th.  Tyler and Laura left the stadium first, and got to the tower tied for second  - when the first team was leaving (I don't remember the order arriving or leaving the corral).  Blair and Hailey got to the tower first, and ended up getting to the monster trucks last.    Tyler and Laura got to the selfie shed first but were second to unlock it.  Jenni and Jelani seemed to have quite a lead hanging up the selfies by the time Tyler and Laura got their shed unlocked, but Tyler and Laura finished the task first, and won the race.  The final cab ride seemed pretty close to, but that could just be editing. 

[GaT]

Maybe these people (or the ones who fail when it comes to cabs) have never had to take them anywhere before? If you don't know the right strategy for making sure you get from point A to point B successfully, it is probably something hard to learn on the fly. Like driving a stick shift.

I just happened to be thinking this while I was watching. I don't remember ever calling a cab in my life, I have a car so I never need one. The very few times I'v even been in one, somebody else got it. All I know about getting a cab is seeing other people do it by standing in the road with their arm out. 

Edited May 16, 2015 by GaT

[cooksdelight]

I've had to get a few cabs from hotels to other places, but the concierge handles it by getting one they know is safe for a woman alone, and I just give them my credit card for payment. I had better luck getting a cab in London than I ever did here in the states.

[Dobian]

I always hate when teams get done in by stupid cab drivers.  Bad enough that Truckstop team's first cab left them, but then the second cab runs out of gas?  The cabbie doesn't even watch his gas meter, what an idiot.  I think I would have strangled him in frustration.  Hayley, always look for the obvious clue, if it's not obvious then it's not a clue.  I was kind of rooting for them at the end, but that's the way it goes.  How did that trucker guy have all those selfies memorized for all three teams to be able to judge them?  Well I guess all the selfies were in the exact same spot, but still that's a lot of memorizing.  Congrats to the winners, you ran a good race.

[biakbiak]

I always hate when teams get done in by stupid cab drivers.  Bad enough that Truckstop team's first cab left them,

 

They stated that the cab driver told them that he couldn't wait for them, that could have been for a variety of reasons (shift change, time call, appointment, or just because he didn't give a damn) all of them are perfectly valid and that is on them for not asking him to call dispatch for another cab or asking to borrow his phone and doing it themselves.

 

The running out of gas could go either way depending on how far away the ranch was, he should have noticed earlier how much was in the tank but they hailed him in the middle of the city (in the midst of a turn) and got out to a ranch so he might have thought he had enough gas to make it but than realized it was farther than he thought. Also, that cab driver didn't cost them anything because by the time they got him they were already in fourth so they would have been eliminated even if he had gone straight there with a full tank of gas.

[In Pog Form]

Anyway, a sprawly car-dependent city isn't a good place to end the race. Sorry, Dallas. It's not us, it's you.

Don't forget ugly. Boy, is that an unattractive place.

[Moda29]

After an entire season of blaming Blair for everything, it was only fitting that Hayley being in control cost them the win. Toward the end, I was on team anyone but Jenny, I felt so bad for Jelani that he got stuck racing with her.

[Richness]

I had a perfect ending to a such a horrible season: My DirecTV DVR decided to record only the last 10 minutes of the race. I got in just as the winners were leaving the selfie challenge (LOL @ Selfies Galore Bond vixen name!) Not sure why either, since it's been recording just fine all season long. It was able to record Grimm as usual, so it wasn't weather. I don't know whether to be pissed at DTV, my DVR, or who. Hopefully, I can catch this episode On Demand.

 

Even with what little I did see, I never want to see, or more importantly, hear, Haley ever again. Good riddance. If I have to hear Phil try to wrangle love out of the blind date couples ever again, I'm going to go postal. I want to see TAR, not the Bachelor(ette). I hope TAR returns for many more seasons, but not with this stupid dating crap.

[Archery]

Props to Jenni for literally falling of a horse and getting back on.

Hayley' s mistake is Is one I would dread: thinking that you've figured out a location and being wrong. There was another team that did that- I want to say they went to the wrong bell tower or something in a city, and you could totally get how they messed it up.

[slasherboy]

Who are these people that they're eager to dangle a million miles in the air like that?  I need something under my feet at all times.  Sooooo glad Blair wasn't the one who screwed up.  He'd never hear the end of it.  Now, bring on "Big Brother"!!

[RedheadZombie]

 I wonder if the judges for the selfie tasks were crew members and there was some sort of embedded clue in the pictures because that would be crazy difficult to judge because most didn't have easy identifying characteristics.

 

I think that final challenge really sucked.  First of all, there was no way for the audience to play along, or have any concept if they were even doing it correctly.  Typically, what they're matching up is info the audience may know and can follow along. It was also confusing.  I thought they had to put the pictures on the map over the appropriate country, but when Tyler immediately beelined with the Tokyo selfie, I was pretty sure he wasn't capable of pointing out Japan on a map.  Which made me confused all over again.

 

 And yep, after all the yelling and the ´´listen to me, I´m right`` , Haley cost them the race. Yep, at least after came out of the crazy/annoying racer mode, she was able to take the blame. And once again, bless Blair heart to take it so well, no one of the other guys would have made this far with her, specially without snap out.

 

Haley speaks in absolutes:  "You NEVER listen to me, and I'm ALWAYS right".  My favorite shrieking moment of the night, was Haley screaming "Blair, hurry up!", when Blair was waiting for the football to be thrown.  I can't imagine what she thought he could do about the situation.  The second was screaming for him to go faster as he runs past her.  I was waiting for this:  "Blair, wait!  You HAVE to wait for me. Blaaaaaaaair!"

 

I always hate the animal challenges, and I spend all my time worrying that an animal may be abused for a stupid TV show.  I thought Jenny's horse was going to break a leg, and would need to be put down.   Jenny was a trooper, though.

[aradia22]

All things considered, Tyler and Laura are far from the least likable team that has ever been on TAR. They just happen to be the team that stuck around the longest (letting us get to know them) while annoying me the most of the remaining teams. While they didn't dominate, they have raced fairly competently so I don't begrudge them the win. I was just really hoping for Blair and Hayley. 

 

lol. Tyler was so not fazed by having 4 teams still in the race. 

 

Hayley started in early.

 

I don't like them bunching up too much so I was just waiting for someone to break out into a lead. Of course, Tyler doing well did nothing to break the impression that the quarterback and the cheerleader were going to win this season of TAR. I don't know. When they're not doing anything to annoy me I just find them so bland, like all the regular couple teams in the past. It's just hard to root for them.

 

Laura and Tyler were kind of ridiculous. Why were they so set on following Blair and Hayley. You're in Texas. You really can't think of a better solution?

 

It didn't seem like the teams were that involved in the cattle drive so the challenge was more... ride a horse to the location. I'm glad everyone stayed safe though. I was worried for Jenni when she fell off the horse. That could have gone very wrong with the horse thrashing around. If it had fallen on her? My God.

 

Yeah. Hayley screwed up. But I wish she hadn't and they had been able to take advantage of that lead. I think part of the reason that I like them besides the fact that they make me laugh is that their winning would have really spit in the eye of this whole blind dating concept. Sure all the blind dating teams had their arguments, but these two were clearly not a match. Also, her mistake wasn't completely out there since Laura and Jenni saw it too. Her mistake was not seeing both. I was amused that Jenni was about to overthink it again. It couldn't be that easy? What is wrong with you? 

 

Blair was amazing for how he reacted when Hayley did the task over. I mean, maybe he'd shut down at that point but still, no rage, no blame.

 

I loved watching Jenny and Jelani race through the combination lock/memory task. This is the team I was rooting for at the beginning. And, oh good. There was a point to the selfies. I did enjoy that Tyler and Laura were so sure of themselves on this one and that Jenny and Jelani were essentially arguing about scrapbooking.

 

I don't think this season was a waste. I had fun along the way. But it would have been nice to see some better challenges and yeah, this finale was lackluster again.

[aradia22]

 

Thinking about it, it's not so much that the blind daters won as a young fit team won. The blind date teams were heavily young and fit, those teams always have an advantage in just being able to 'power' through things. I know this isn't always so but I think there is a reason the majority of winners have been all male teams or young, strong teams. It took a long time for an all female team to win or an older couple.

That's why I'm not totally opposed to them casting strangers again. Not the whole blind dating thing, but look at your pool of applicants and find the strongest people (mentally, physically, etc.) and pair them up however you see fit. If I have to watch people I don't particularly like I'd like to at least see them really put to the test with hard challenges knowing they can handle it because they found good racers.

[AZChristian]

I was really concerned when Jenny got up out of the mud and walked BEHIND a horse that was spooked and kicking.  And it looked like she was pretty close to it, too.  Surprised they didn't teach her during her horseback riding lessons in the OC that you NEVER walk that close behind a horse.

[vousviou]

It was still very... linear. Go up a wire, go down a wire, catch a ball, kick a ball, ride a horse in a straight line, go down a wire, drive a truck in a straight line. All with lots and lots of protective gear and safety crew around. And let's be honest, there was zero zilch nada indication of anybody losing a second because of fear of heights, and only a few hairy moments with the horses.

We know the problems with final legs. The final city usually needs to be accessible by a direct flight into the US. Most of the tasks have to be in enclosed, controlled or out-of-the-way areas to avoid spoilers. No driving (other than a monster truck for 50 yards). No public transportation. Limited interaction with locals outside of cab drivers and those who are part of the tasks.

As djlynch says, the cab drivers for this leg were obviously airport drivers, and were mostly useless for any destination that wasn't the football stadium. TPTB could have helped things out by having teams close out their airport cabs at the stadium while bundling some money to half a dozen other cabs to wait nearby, and I wouldn't have considered that shenanigans. Anyway, a sprawly car-dependent city isn't a good place to end the race. Sorry, Dallas. It's not us, it's you.

There have been comments about great finales with cab/car luck, but how about the foot race finish in TAR2, or the Manhattan tasks in TAR10, or the finishes in Anchorage and Portland? I don't mind flashy tasks in opening legs, but there have been plenty of finales with more creative challenges: it's not like they've gone from pizza-eating to 300 foot drops without anything in between. And as I said in the previous episode thread, by having a NEL and a midway elimination in the finale, TPTB are depriving viewers of the F3 elimination, which is often a highlight because there aren't as many constraints and everything to play for.

 

As a fairly recent viewer, what's the background behind the containment, for lack of a better word, of the final leg?  Were the results spoiled in the past by some spectator?

 

As far as the heights, I agree there wasn't any major suspense -- I'm pretty sure everyone at this point had done the zipline food delivery and/or crossing the canyon on the cables, so I don't think anyone was likely to be wigged out.

 

It is possible for them to drive instead of take cabs, at any rate -- last season the final four drove from the airport, and the Wrestlers were eliminated after they got lost.

 

I agree that the Alaska finale was well done -- I remember the challenge of hitting the target from the prop plane was a really good one.

 

I think the football stadium challenge could have been improved in a couple of ways.  One would be to find the plays from under seats throughout the stadium, requiring the guys to read a map and figure out the most efficient route.  The other would be to have to complete more football-related tasks -- throwing a pass through a target, pushing a blocking sled, etc.  Or possibly memorizing a play, calling the audible, and executing it -- probably not with a full 22 players, but a live center for the snap and wide receiver to catch a pass.

 

I think the monster truck challenge could have been improved if they actually had to do more before starting -- change the wipers, add air to the tires, check the oil, stuff like that.  Basically, both the stadium and the monster truck seemed really lacking in substance and would have been improved with more components, which seems to be a general problem with final legs, in my opinion.

 

I agree that the NEL and midleg elimination is less than ideal.  I'm agnostic about whether it's better to have 3 or 4 in the final, but the midleg elimination tends to distract from the drama of the final leg rather than add to it. 

 

I wonder if there's a way to have the teams compete in isolation without them (or the viewers) knowing for sure where they stand in relation to each other would heighten the tension.  Maybe that would be too hard to pull off, or too gimmicky though.

[TheOriginalDonald]

Not surprised none of the blind date couples lasted. Didn't anyone watch Speed?

With three blind date couples coming in 1-2-3, you just know they are going to do this again.
Phil: "You all came looking for love."

Blair: "Still looking...."

Best line of this entire show.

Relationships that start under intense circumstances, they never last-Sandra Bullock

[blackwing]

I was really concerned when Jenny got up out of the mud and walked BEHIND a horse that was spooked and kicking.  And it looked like she was pretty close to it, too.  Surprised they didn't teach her during her horseback riding lessons in the OC that you NEVER walk that close behind a horse.

I wasn't.  But then again, she was perhaps my least favourite racer on the race.  Her behaviour this last episode didn't change, apart from her gracious final interview.  She always struck me as someone who is very entitled.  She treated her partner poorly, like his sole purpose was to make sure she won the race.  She always has to be in control and gets upset when things don't go her way.  It was particularly ironic that she was the only one that fell off the horse, considering she had to exclaim that "ohhhhh horses!  I love this, it reminds me of growing up in Orange County and riding horses all the time!"  

 

Best exchange of the night was when she was screaming at the taxi driver "There!  Where all those people are!"  Driver:  "There?  I cannot drive through a wall ma'am."

 

I wonder if there's a way to have the teams compete in isolation without them (or the viewers) knowing for sure where they stand in relation to each other would heighten the tension.  Maybe that would be too hard to pull off, or too gimmicky though.

I would hate that.  Part of the excitement is having the teams neck and neck, and freaking out and making mistakes.  Or Hayley knowing that she had blown it.  To her credit, she didn't cry, she took it in stride, and Blair seemed OK with it as well.

[Lingo]

I had a perfect ending to a such a horrible season: My DirecTV DVR decided to record only the last 10 minutes of the race. I got in just as the winners were leaving the selfie challenge (LOL @ Selfies Galore Bond vixen name!) Not sure why either, since it's been recording just fine all season long. It was able to record Grimm as usual, so it wasn't weather. I don't know whether to be pissed at DTV, my DVR, or who. Hopefully, I can catch this episode On Demand.

 

 

You can also watch it on cbs.com.

 

Something interesting (and this is confirmed in a bonus video) is that Laura and Tyler had no idea they were in the lead on that final task. They thought Hayley and Blair were already long gone and that they were racing for second place. It's only after Laura spotted H&B in the monster truck that they discovered that they were in the lead.

[greyhorse]

Such a satisfying ending for once.  My favorite team wins (but then again, I've got a mini crush on Laura).  The type A Jenny who probably is used to being #1 gets knocked down a notch.  One of the most annoying racers in TAR history is done in by her own mistake.  And the slow dimwitted truck stoppers get eliminated before getting a chance to finish the race as they should have, since I don't feel that there should be four teams to go on with the stipulation that one will get eliminated early.  Either have four teams all compete to the end of the race, or only send through three.

 

Why did all the racers carry their backpacks throughout the final leg?  I think this is one of the first times I haven't seen at least one team dump their bags or at least consolidate to a smaller pack.

 

I too can't understand why the cab drivers seemed so clueless.  There is no language barrier.  It's their city.  And don't they all have smart phones?  Why does it seem like most final legs in TAR have them chauffeured around by the same cab driver for the whole leg?  I think it would be much more interesting if they had to drive themselves.  And if it happens to be your hometown, then lucky for you.

 

Now that we've seen that selfies can be included in the final memory challenge, I'd try to make some code while taking them.  It could be as simple as holding up fingers in each hand - i.e. 1 in the left hand and 4 in the right hand for the 14th picture taken.  If that's too obvious, then maybe wear a cap and turn it slightly each time I took a picture.  Now I'm overthinking it...

 

Yawn.  I'm okay with Laura and Tyler winning ... mostly.    They seem the types who get everything they want in life, in no small part due to their looks.   I sort of resent that.  But there's no particular complaint I can pin on them.   They had fun and it was infectious at times.  What I don't get is why he didn't kiss her.   I'm not saying they had to profess love for each other, but they did both just win $500,000.   It called for a kiss, even if just in celebration.

 

Completely agree.  You've just won $500,000 each.  I would be crying tears of joy and be so overcome with emotion that it might lead to a celebratory roll in the sack, even if I wasn't romantically attracted to my partner.

 

I read the interview where Tyler and Laura both said that you either are racing or you're trying to date and you can't do both, so I understand.  But I can't help but think that Laura secretly has a boyfriend and that's why Tyler didn't try to make a move on her and be all over her.  Laura has a gorgeous face, an ample (probably enhanced) chest, and seems athletic enough for him.  

 

I need to start hanging out in bars in Santa Monica, the EW articles says both Tyler and Laura were discovered there by casting.

 

I found it interesting that throughout the race, racers have pretty much only worn REI/workout type outfits.  But for the final leg, Tyler breaks out this green Hawaiian party collared shirt.  I wonder if he asked for it from his sequester bag or if he carried it around with him in his backpack for three weeks.

 

I thought this was odd as well too.  Why save it until the last leg?  Why even wear it at all?  The race is certainly not a fashion statement.   My entire wardrobe would be workout shirts and pants that zip off to convert to shorts.

 

I can't believe Hayley is a nurse and I can't believe that somebody actually has hired her.  If I were the nurse manager of her unit, I'd be appalled at her behavior.  I'm going to guess that Hayley will find it very hard to find a boyfriend for a very long time.

[millennium]

You just know Blair and Hayley are coming back.   All Stars, Unfinished Business, Dreamers and Screamers ... whatever gimmick the show has to come up with, we are not done with those two.    Personally, I thought they were hilarious.

[etagloh]

As a fairly recent viewer, what's the background behind the containment, for lack of a better word, of the final leg?  Were the results spoiled in the past by some spectator?

It's not just "some spectator": there's a large online community (RFF) that tracks the Race while it's in progress, and for multiple seasons it has pinned down eliminations up to the final leg, but AFAIK it hasn't spoiled the winner. (I deliberately avoid spoilers, but look at the spoiler thread here and check the datestamps.) TAR could get away with more in earlier seasons, because there wasn't the same interest in following the Race in progress, or smartphones with cameras.

The design of final legs is shaped by the desire to avoid a) spoilers; b) interference from fans who know what's going on; c) safety issues; c) previous rule-bending, going back to Colin's town-car rental in TAR5. That's why you end up with tasks that feel more segregated and artificial, because the risk of a more open task being disrupted or altered at a critical point is too great.

[Ducky]

 

It's not just "some spectator": there's a large online community (RFF) that tracks the Race while it's in progress, and for multiple seasons it has pinned down eliminations up to the final leg, but AFAIK it hasn't spoiled the winner.

 

they have... The season that Dave/Connor won... some dingdong posted the entire list of elimination up to and including who the winners were on the Amazing Race FB page in the middle of the season.  I accidentally saw most of it and unfortunately much as I tried somewhere in  my brain it lodge.  I unfollowed that page shortly after for that reason... people who spoil like that.

[ItsJessMe]

I thought this was odd as well too.  Why save it until the last leg?  Why even wear it at all?  The race is certainly not a fashion statement.   My entire wardrobe would be workout shirts and pants that zip off to convert to shorts..

I'm pretty sure that's the shirt he was given for the cowboy task. I remember seeing the hangers with those kinds of shirts on them and he made a comment about them as he was flipping through the hangers.

[UsernameFatigue]

Hayley at the monster trucks: "buckle up buckle up buckle up! BUCKLE UP BLAIR, BUCKLE UP!!!!!!!!!!" all said while he's buckling his seat belt and orienting himself to the truck.

 

I was surprised that they didn't name the episode BUCKLE UP BLAIR, BUCKLE UP!!!!!  It would have been a fitting end to the season. Geez, poor Blair - can you imagine how much nagging they HAVEN'T shown when Haley is screeching at him about something as silly as that?  I love that in the end Haley was the one who screwed up their chance to win. Thank goodness it was not Blair.

 

Regarding Jenny and the horse, as someone mentioned upthread I was shocked that she walked directly behind the horse that she had just been thrown from. I would expect that from someone with no knowledge of horses, but apparently she has had experience riding. Yikes. And her screeching at Jenali at the football stadium was approaching Haley levels. Yep, I am sure Jenali did not know that he would have to kick the ball higher for it to clear the poles.

 

In the end I was glad Laura and Tyler won as I didn't want either Jenny or Haley to win. Would love love love a Jenali/Blair pairing down the road.

[biakbiak]

Jenny wasn't directly behind the horse, she was to the side of it. When she was initially tossed she got up immediately which is good because being on the ground can lead to even worse injuries, then the horse moved and so she was behind him but still off to the side and she immediately got into it's periphal vision and put her hands on the flank to let it know she was there but she was still to the side of it.

[Sister Havana]

I'm glad Laura and Tyler won, although I would have been okay with Mike and Rochelle winning too. Laura and Tyler were the only team in the final 3 I actually liked. I was kind of meh on Jenny and Jelani, and Hayley was totally annoying. 

 

And I really, really want to see Jonathan and Harley come back if they do another All-Stars/Unfinished Business season. 

[UsernameFatigue]

J

enny wasn't directly behind the horse, she was to the side of it. When she was initially tossed she got up immediately which is good because being on the ground can lead to even worse injuries, then the horse moved and so she was behind him but still off to the side and she immediately got into it's periphal vision and put her hands on the flank to let it know she was there but she was still to the side of it.

 

That is not how I remembered it so just watched the scene again. Jenny was tossed off to the side, then horse was trying to get up at the same time Jenny was getting back up. She actually swatted the horse's flank and yelled at it as it was kicking trying to get its footing.  Once the horse was up it stood still. Jenny was still to the side of it and then walked directly behind the horse to the other side where the handler was waiting to help her back onto the horse.

Edited May 17, 2015 by UsernameFatigue

[Rinaldo]

As a fairly recent viewer, what's the background behind the containment, for lack of a better word, of the final leg?  

In this case, I was surprised (bordering on shocked!) by how uncontained these tasks were. They had masses of spectators at the arena, at the ranch, at the monster trucks. All of them in a position to tell the world who the three finalists were. (Even if they did a decoy replay or preplay of the route, it all seemed awfully public to me.)

[Guest]

That is not how I remembered it so just watched the scene again. Jenny was tossed off to the side, then horse was trying to get up at the same time Jenny was getting back up. She actually swatted the horse's flank and yelled at it as it was kicking trying to get its footing.  Once the horse was up it stood still. Jenny was still to the side of it and then walked directly behind the horse to the other side where the handler was waiting to help her back onto the horse.

That's pretty much how we saw it too.  

 

I was happy with Laura and Tyler winning.  I suspect one or both of them were in relationships at home, the way all that was 100% off the table from day one, practically.  Tyler seemed particularly disinterested all along so I'm thinking it was him.  

 

I don't think it's hard to find people who will work for TAR for the day at the challenges who will sign a commitment not to be posting or telling people details of the challenges, and will honor it.  I don't think TMZ is paying for spoilers or anything.  They'd just be spreading them to be jerks.  Why bother if it sets you up for legal ramifications and removes you from from possible future work consideration from the production company.  

[justawatcher]

You know what would be kinda fun? If they did decoys with the teams eliminated 1st, 4th, and 7th and then 2nd, 5th, and 8th, and then 3rd and 6th. And everyone got to go do/decoy the final leg. If they had groups of teams coming off a plane in 3 team sets from three different locations, it might screw with things a bit.

[AZChristian]

According to Wikipedia, "Other teams, generally the last few eliminated before the final three, are used as "decoy teams", and run the race's final leg ahead of the actual final teams, in hopes of confusing possible spoilers about the race's outcome from locals."

 

Getting ALL of them to the final leg location in "race for a million" mode would probably be a logistical nightmare.  Think of all the additional innocent travelers who are pushed aside on escalators, banged into with overstuffed backpacks, etc. 

 

;-)

 

Edited May 17, 2015 by AZChristian